Neil Patrick Harris Outburst: Rep Says It Was All Part of the Act

"How I Met Your Mother" star Neil Patrick Harris was explaining himself after an incident Saturday in which he appeared to get into a confrontation with an audience member during a live Broadway performance of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," the New York Daily News reports.

Reports indicating that Harris lashed out at the person are not accurate, the article says. His rep said the actor remained in character and used the fan's input as part of the performance.

"Neil as Hedwig, (it's) not as though Neil stopped the show to respond out of character," the rep said. "When the fan initially yelled, 'I love you, Neil,' Neil (as Hedwig) then responded, 'Who's Neil? I'm not Neil.' He then looked over at Yitzhak (played by Lena Hall) and said, 'Are you Neil? You better not be Neil.'"

Harris also addressed the incident, writing in a tweet: "It seems my Hedwig improvs are making news, but one should have the full story/context."

The report notes: "Fans that know the production well understand that the musical about a transgender German punk rocker is centered on improvisation and audience interaction. Harris was supposedly attempting to turn the attendee's yell of admiration into a part of the show."

Said his rep: "It was all done in good fun and fully in the context of the show. The audience went crazy and it really was a lighthearted moment, which is not being properly contextualized in any of these various posts."